What If It Was Me?
by Traci
Summary: Post-ep for 'The Internet is Forever'. Emily is still shaken after seeing the women frozen and Derek is there to offer support.


Disclaimer: The usual. Not mine, never have been, never will be.

Rating: K

Summary: Post-ep for The Internet is Forever. Emily is shaken by the site of the frozen women and Morgan is there to help.

* * *

What If It Was Me?

* * *

Their most recent case had been especially horrific. They had all watched a woman be murdered live on the Internet. The fact that the killer had hung the victims from hooks in a meat locker just added to the horror.

Derek Morgan signed the last of the paperwork from his report and locked up his office for the night. He had assumed everyone was gone until he saw a very familiar figure sitting at the desk in the bullpen. They hadn't really spoken much after arresting killer but he knew she was shaken just as much as he at what they had seen.

"Emily?"

She jumped slightly, also figuring everyone else had gone home, then gave him a small smile. "I hate paperwork."

He laughed as he sat on the edge of her desk. "Maybe we can bribe Reid to do our reports, too."

Prentiss sighed and sat back in her chair. "Why are you still here?"

He motioned to the papers on her desk. "I just finished up. Do you need help?"

"Another five minutes and I should be done."

They sat in silence for a moment.

"Want to get a drink when you're done?" Morgan softly asked.

"Just one?" she grinned. "I think we deserve more than one after this case."

"Whatever you want, Princess," he chuckled.

She pushed his leg aside on her desk. "Move so I can get this done now!"

* * *

Emily sat in the corner at their usual table when Morgan returned with two beers.

"Are you okay?" she asked, taking a long sip while he sat.

"About the same as you," he responded.

Her eyes met his. "Sometimes it scares me how well you know me but other times… other times I'm very grateful. We see a lot of terrible things in our job but this one," she paused. "This one was…"

"Yeah," he agreed.

"How's Garcia?"

"Shaken like the rest of us. It killed her when Hotch told her to forget about helping the woman and focus on those watching."

"I wonder if she even realizes she's the reason we still believe there's good in this world?"

Morgan didn't know what to say so they drank in silence together. However, he recognized the look in her eyes. The look that told him she was questioning herself so he reached across the table and covered her hand with his.

"Emily?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing. I just can't get the vision of those women hanging in the freezer out of my head. What if we had never found him?"

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "But we did. And their families can give them the respect they deserve." When she didn't respond, he asked, "What is it? There's something bothering you more than that."

"Sometimes I can't help but wonder what if it was me? What if I was a victim of one of the psychos we go after?"

"I would have killed him right then and there."

"Derek…"

"I wish I didn't mean it, but I do. However, I will never let anything happen to you."

She smiled. "Don't make promises you can't keep. Remember our line of work. I honestly don't know why this one is bothering me so much. Maybe I'm just overtired."

Letting go of her hand, Morgan stood. "Why don't we get out of here? I have a small movie collection, some popcorn and your favorite beer in the fridge. We're off tomorrow. Let's just forget the evil in the world exists for tonight."

"Sounds perfect." She finished her beer and stood up only to feel his arm wrap around her shoulder as he placed a gentle kiss on her hair. It was a line they flirted with but never dared to cross given their working relationship and strong friendship but it was a line that became very blurred after emotional cases.

Keeping his arm around her, he opened the door and let her go first, reluctantly removing his arm from her shoulder when they stepped outside.

Taking a quick look around and finding the sidewalk empty, Emily leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," she whispered.

Touching her hand, he met her eyes. "Always."


End file.
